Simple and Clean
by Sakura123
Summary: ONE SHOT. For Thundercub. Goku, Gohan, and Goten go on a camping trip. A simple character story. There is no sure point at all.


**Simple and Clean**

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**Title: Simple and Clean  
Rated: K (G)  
Characters: Goku, Gohan, Goten (Chi-Chi, Bulma - mentioned)  
Genre: General  
Summary: Goku, Gohan and Goten all go on a camping trip; a simple character story.  
Timeline: Just a simple AU universe. For Thundercub.  
Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z and all characters (save original ones) belong to Arika Toriyama. I own nothing nor to make any money off of this. "Smple and Clean (PlanitB Remix)" Lyrics are property of Utada Hikaru and Square-enix(?).  
Author's note: This is just a thought that was floating around in my head. No sure point to it at all.**

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_You're giving me too many things  
Lately you're all I need  
You smiled at me and said, _

Don't get me wrong I love you  
But does that mean I have to meet your father?  
When we are older you'll understand  
What I meant when I said "No,  
I don't think life is quite that simple"

When you walk away  
You don't hear me say please  
don't go  
Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight  
It's hard to let it go

The daily things that keep us all busy  
Are confusing me  
That's when you came to me and said,

Wish I could prove I love you  
But does that mean I have to walk on water?  
When we are older you'll understand  
It's enough when I say so  
And maybe some things are that simple

Hold me  
Whatever lies beyond this morning  
Is a little later on  
Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all  
Nothing's like before

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_(Day one: Camp site):_

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_Place poles in a vertical position before sliding them inside the fabric of the tent. Please make sure all poles in their respective order according to numbers placed on the ends. Hmm, sounds . . . easy enough._ Son Goku looked up from the directional manual of the tent he had bought from the nearest sport store in the city under his wife's Chi-Chi's suggestion. It was summer break for his two son's Gohan and Goten. Since turning four several months ago the boy wished to go camping for the first time with just Gohan and Goku. Goku wholehearted agreed to the idea but Chi-Chi had her doubts about letting her youngest son go out on a camping during the time of the season when it was the hottest in the forest.

Goku however, assured his wife that they were going to camp out in their usual spot near the river like he had done several times with the others. Which usually attracted trouble, Goku just thought of it as a coincidental fluke since they were all after him. Chi-Chi was weary but with an enough pleading from her Goten the woman final gave in giving the three sayain's her consent. Goten had been jumping for joy, he almost knocked a hole into the ceiling of the kitchen ceiling. In the present, their camping trip had hardly started and nothing was going right.

Gohan was having a hard enough time putting on the tent he was assigned to as much as Goku was with his. The teenage sayain found himself buried under a the tent as he struggled to get the tent to stand erect. The directions weren't helping either. Goten sat patiently on the shore of the river tossing little pebbles into the calm water, creating ripples. _This is harder than it looks,_ Goku thought in dismay. Tossing the manual to the side he picked up the poles according to the numbers and put them together, he slipped them in through the small inserts inside the tent and everything appeared to go smoothy from there.

When he was finished Goku took a step back to examine his work. Picking up the box the tent had come in he stared at the picture then at the tent; there was no resemblance. His was sort of lop sided and crooked at one end. Goku Shrugged absentmindedly, at least it was up. "Hey Gohan, how's your tent coming along?" He asked his eldest son. Gohan poked his had out the inside of the tent with inquiring eyes, he stared at his father's tent in surprise. Goku noted his son's tent was just like the one on the box, at least someone got their tent correct. "Dad, do you know your tent is sorta . . . em, wrong?" Gohan asked cracking a shaky smile. Goku looked to his tent with his hand upon his chin, his foot tapped against the ground as he did so. "Hmm. So it is," He replied turning his back to it. "Hey Goten, are you ready to go Fishing!"

Goten stood up from his place dusting his little bottom of the rocks that were stuck to it before turning to his father. "Yeah! I wanna go fishing!" The little boy cried hopping up and down. Goku watched his enthusiastic son with a huge grin before rising off the ground. He looked to Gohan who was rummaging through their backpacks for the cooking utensils. "Hey Gohan, I'm gonna get some fish with Goten, can you take care of things here?" Goku asked as he extended his hand to the 4-year-old below. Gohan looked up from the packs with a solemn sort of look on his face but nodded. "Sure, everything will be ready by the time your guys come back," He said in a chipper voice. "Great. C'mon Goten!" Goku cried taking off into the sky.

Goten clung to back of his father's Gi top as the two of them soared through the air. "Weee!" Goten felt like a fighter jet he had seen on television. Goku laughed along with his son, the boundless positive energy he sensed from the child went through him as he landed near the small confined part of the river. He let Goten slide of his back and walk over to the small river shore. Goku followed explaining to him this was the best place to go fishing. Goten however, looked skeptic. "Are ya' sure, daddy? I mean it doesn't look like there's any fish in there," Goten replied honestly. Goku laughed. "Well, that's because you gotta look harder. See, watch me," Goku stated stepping into the water. Goten watched his father waddle into the water until he was waist high into it, his eyes were focused totally on his father's careful movements. Goku kept his eyes focused on the rippling water hardly taking notice of his rippling reflection, he continued to stare until he could swear he could stare straight down at the bottom of the river. That's when dove underneath the water. Goten hopped up from his sitting position never expecting his father to do that.

Gohan sighed with relief as he sat the stainless steel spoon on top of the pot, he looked around with a sort of proud look on his face, his eyes sparkling with pride as well. He had fixed up his father's tent and put everything in their respective places -- his and Goten's backpack near the tent he had put up and his father's backpack near the tent he had put up. Now all he had to do was get the firewood and everything would be set. Taking one last look at the boiling soup in the pot, Gohan rushed off the camp site towards the area where the lumber was.

Picking up one of the long longs Gohan tossed it up into the air, he went up after him and with his quick reflexes chopped through the log like a knife through hot butter. He landed first then the neatly pieces of log came down last in a nice pile. Gohan dusted his hands off on his traditional Chinese sleeveless shirt and pants for extra measure. "There, that should be enough, for sure," He told him. Gohan picked him seven logs before heading back to the camp site. When he returned he found Goku trailing behind the four year old Goten who dragged two large fish behind him. He smiled happily when he caught sight of Gohan returning as well from his trip from the camp site. "Hey Gohan, look what I caught!" Goten cried out to his big brother.

He raised his right arm to show Gohan the medium sized fish he had fished out of the water with his tail which was wagging happily. "Oh wow, that's great Goten!" Gohan replied. All three of them stopped around the fire, Goku suggested that he and Gohan cook the fish while Goten go and relax someplace. Goten pouted in frustration as he marched towards the shoreline again, Goku looked on in confusion before averting his gaze towards his tent. He blinked for a couple of seconds before breaking out in a smile. "Hey, my tent, it's just like yours Gohan!" He exclaimed placing the fish. Gohan nodded in agreement. "Yep, I fixed it," He declared proudly. Goku looked down at his son then at the tent again. "Thanks, I appreciate it," The older sayain said. He ruffled his son's already wild hair with his unoccupied hand, the young man winced but was enjoying the sensation all the same. Gohan placed Goten's fish on the ground to go retrieve the cooking equipment.

Goku placed his large fish on the ground beside Goten's. He stared at the slouched back of his four year old with a look of dismay. Goten was young, he knew exactly how he felt when there was nothing to do or someone (mainly Bulma) told him to go off someplace or don't touch anything breakable. Sighing Goku walked over to his son, the sound of rocks plunking into the water pitifully rang in his ears. Kneeling down in a crouched position such as Goten was, Goku picked up a moderately sized stone then tossed it sideways across the river. It skipped until it reached the center of the water and sank. "Cheer up Goten, this is your camping trip. Your supposed to be happy," Goku spoke softly. Goten looked up from his stupor at his father with watering eyes. "I know, but -- its not fun when I can't do anything. I wanna help with dinner too, ya know," Goten replied through his pouted lips.

Goku nodded understandingly placing a hand on the small of Goten's back. "Tell ya what, you can cut my fish and Gohan and I we'll just bake yours," Goku explained. He certainly did hope this kept the little ball of energy busy as well as happy. Goten stood up straight, whipping his eyes with the sleeve of his Gi he looked towards Goku's large fish just as Gohan was putting his medium one onto the skewer that resided above the boiling pot. "Really? You'd let me?" He said excitedly. Goku nodded in response and Goten jumped high into the air until he was nothing more than a speck in the sky, Goku watched until the figure of his gradually became larger. Hovering just a few feet off the ground Goku extended his arms upward, he caught the little boy with ease. Goten grunted when his body collided with Goku's hands, he smiled when he was brought back down to the ground by his father. "Woo, your like a ruberband!" Goku laughed, coming back down to the ground himself. Goten scratched the back of his head bashfully, he never thought himself as a rubberband before! "Uh, that's a good thing right?" Goten asked. Goku nodded, grinning all the while. "Hey are you guys gonna help me with Dinner? I can't do this by myself you know," Gohan called out to his brother and father. Goku and Goten moved away from shore line of the river to help Gohan.

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_(Day two: The Hike):_

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The Son trio trudged through the forest, Gohan and Goku had normal run of the mill wooden sticks they had carved out of a fallen tree while Goten had the power pole, he flipped it around eagerly mimicking the fighting moves Chi-Chi had shown him when Goku wasn't around to see. His mother had made him promise never to tell his father because she was afraid he would make a big deal out of it (teasing and joking), despite the fact that Goten never thought his father made a big deal out of anything except their safety. But he promised anyway. Gohan watched his little brother in front of him twirl the power pole like an average professional.

He wondered constantly through their hike where he had learned to use it in such a way because Goku had already stated he never taught any pole techniques to the small child and didn't plan to until he was at least seven, which in Goku standards was strange. Gohan never taught him any pole techniques either. "You think Mom showed him?" The teen asked. Goku pondered on the possibility for a moment before shaking his head. "No. Your Mom _was_ fighter, but she had long since given that up. Maybe the others taught him. Unless . . .?" Goku lowered his head a bit and continued pondering. Gohan shrugged bringing his mind off that subject, his eyes focused on Goten. The small boy stuck the pole into the ground staring through the trees that the sky. "Hey, how do you get the pole get all big and stuff?" Goten asked, he scratched his head. Gohan looked to his father who just shrugged his shoulders in a way of giving his eldest son permission to tell.

"Well, Goten, all you have to say is '_Power pole extend!'_ and it'll get really long," Gohan stated. Goten looked at his brother then at his father who nodded in agreement, his eyes shifted back to the pole. With a deep breath Goten yelled the correct words. For a moment everything was silent, the fluttering of birds feathers, the silent swaying of the tree branches in the hot wind and the chirping of other animals was all that was heard until the pole gave out a radiant glow. Goten grabbed hold, he was sent flying through the tree branches in a matter of seconds. "_Ah!_ Goten!" Goku and Gohan cried out in unison. The two rocketed into the sky after the small boy who rode the extending pole, Goku picked up his speed as he watched Goten go through the clouds. He hardly remembered the pole getting up that far.

Gohan followed after his father was best as he could but it was like Goku had a hidden speed he rarely showed unless he trained himself for the little time he was in other-world before they had brought him back with the namekain dragon balls. Goku still saw no sign of Goten or the power pole when he reached the sky above the clouds, he rubbed his arms at the frigid feeling of the breeze above the clouds. "I've got no time for this," Goku grumbled. Calming his beating heart the wild-haired man searched for his Son's Ki signal. It felt like hours before he caught a faint glimmer of Goten's Ki signal, looking to the left Goku placed two fingers upon his forehead and vanished instantly.

Goten had never been up this high from the ground before, he could barely see the ground that was quickly approaching him. He looked around for any signs of Gohan or his father but found none. In his hand was the power pole that had returned to its normal height the moment he had higher than the clouds, for some strange reason he couldn't get it to extend anymore. Goten grunted when he felt something grab his wrist, he looked toward with a frantic eyes. "How'd you get all the way up here, Goten?" Goku looked confused. Before he could answer Goten saw the current scenery vanish in a second and replaced with Gohan's confused face. "Dad, you found Goten!" He cheered jovially. "Yep, sure did," He replied. Grasping his other son's hand Goku transported them back to the trail they were on before.

Goten hung onto his father's wrist as he lowered him to the ground, the small child placed his feet firmly on the ground still holding onto the power pole. "Your safe Goten," Goku spoke softly. Goten hugged his father's leg like there was no tomorrow. "That was scary," He said shakily. "I second that," Gohan scoffed in mock-anger but nodded in agreement, his little brother had him worried -- so much that he wished he never told him how to use the power pole. "I'll say, you had us worried," Goku said kneeling down to his son's level. Goten laughed when he felt his father's hands run through his identical mess of hair. Goku stood up soon afterward and the tiro continued their hike through the woods.

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(FIN). Author's note: Its not my best work, but I hope you enjoyed it. Sakura123 


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